Tag: allegory

Niggle was a painter.  Not a very successful one… Of all Tolkien’s works, arguably none of them lend themselves so readily to analysis as Leaf by Niggle.  The allegory by the man who claimed to hate allegory.  A touchingly close examination of a character who may be as close as Tolkien ever came to writing a self-insert.  Even, arguably, Tolkien’s most religious and theological work (of his fictional tales, that is…On Fairy Stories is, of course, Tolkien’s theological triumph). As such, Leaf by Niggle is probably the Lesser Tale in least need of yet another analysis, especially one by a…